From tonight, lockdown will apply in Austria: Holidaymakers must know that now

A hard lockdown will apply in Austria from Monday. It is supposed to last until December 12th. All citizens are only allowed to leave their private living quarters for a valid reason.

For example, when they want to go to work, buy groceries, get medication at the pharmacy, withdraw money or have to see a doctor. Anyone who also wants to “relax” or do sports is allowed to be outdoors. However, crowds of people must be avoided.

German citizens who had planned a ski vacation in the next three weeks will have to postpone their trip. Hotels, restaurants, museums, ski lifts and therefore entire ski areas will be closed for the next three weeks. An FFP2 mask is required in all indoor areas. In addition, car pools are allowed, but coaches will stop operating.

Anyone who does not follow the rules can expect a fine of 500 euros.

Can I cancel my vacation?

If you wanted to go to Ischgl or Sölden, you should put your skis back in the cellar or garage. As the ADAC emphasizes, a free cancellation of the holiday is possible without any problems. The background is that all the services cannot be provided by the hotels and providers.

Basically, vacationers should contact the tour operator immediately and agree on either a cancellation or a rebooking. FOCUS Online advises: For the time being, only book trips with the flex option. This makes the tickets more expensive, but they then have more leeway if the holiday threatens to turn out differently due to corona. Tickets with the Flex option can usually be rebooked or canceled at any time without giving a reason. Please read the general terms and conditions and services carefully.

Can I return my motorway vignette?

There is no return or reimbursement of the toll vignette according to the “Federal Act on the Charge for the Use of National Roads”. The vignettes are therefore excluded from exchange.

However, there is a legal loophole: If consumers have bought the digital car vignette via the online shop, they can make use of their right of withdrawal. The vignette is then considered invalid and the price will be refunded.

From December 6th – “fully vaccinated” status expires after 9 months

Fully vaccinated people should be aware of any change. As of December 6, the vaccination status expires nine months (270 days) after the most recent vaccination. In many cases, anyone who received the status “fully vaccinated” in the spring absolutely needs a booster vaccination in order to be able to move freely in Austria. Otherwise, those affected could be considered “not vaccinated”.

Vacationers who received the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson absolutely need a second vaccination with an mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty from BioNTech / Pfizer and Spikevax from Moderna) from January 3rd. Otherwise their vaccination status will expire and they will be considered unvaccinated in Austria.

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